The Russian military confirms the shelling of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but the Moscow leadership does not see the grain agreement in danger. At the same time, during his trip to Africa, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov openly named the overthrow of the Ukrainian leadership, which he described as "hostile to the people and to history", as a goal. Objection from Kyiv was not long in coming. Zelenskyy countered that an attack on Ukraine could only be ordered by someone who does not know the true history of the people. Monday is the 151st day of the war.
Russian military justifies port attack with US weapons
One day after the rocket attacks in the port of Odessa, Moscow justified the internationally criticized attack with the destruction of US weapons. The missiles were fired at a ship repair facility, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow on Sunday. A Ukrainian warship and a warehouse with US-supplied Harpoon missiles were destroyed in the dock, sources said.
Lavrov believes in grain deal and "regime change" in Kyiv
Despite the attack, Lavrov reaffirmed the validity of the international agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. The passage through a sea corridor should be monitored from a control center in Istanbul, he said during a visit to the Egyptian capital Cairo. Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations are said to be working there. Russian and Turkish forces would work together to ensure the safety of the ships on the open sea, Lavrov said. He later spoke of a third party, not yet named, that would be involved in the controls.
In Egypt, Russia's chief diplomat made a name for himself with statements about a planned overthrow of the Ukrainian government that had not previously been heard from Moscow with such openness. "We will definitely help the Ukrainian people to free themselves from the regime that is absolutely hostile to the people and history," he said. The Russian and Ukrainian people would henceforth live together.
In the past few days, the Russian leadership has publicly tightened its position on the Ukraine war. On Wednesday, Lavrov threatened to occupy other areas outside of the Donbass. In view of the western supply of arms and their longer range, it is necessary to further push the Kiev troops away from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow has recognized as independent. With the current announcement of a planned regime change in Kyiv, Lavrov contradicted earlier statements. In April he had denied such plans.
Zelenskyy: Attack on Ukraine shows ignorance of history
Kyiv immediately returned the accusation of the "anti-history regime" to the addressee. "Only those who do not know the real story and do not feel its importance could choose to attack us," Zelenskyy replied in his video address. For centuries, Ukrainians have been oppressed and will never give up their independence. According to the president, maintaining national unity is now the most important task for Ukrainians in order to win the war and become a member of the European Union.
"Keeping unity now, working together for victory is the most important national task that we have to do together," he said. If the Ukrainians can do this, they will succeed in what generations before had failed to do. To preserve independence from Russia, to transform itself into one of the most modern countries in the world and at the same time to go its own way towards Europe, which according to Zelenskyj will end with full membership of the EU. Meanwhile, there were no major changes on the battlefields in Ukraine.
Ex-US Secretary of State Kissinger: no surrender of Ukrainian territories
Former US Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger has advised Ukraine and the West not to cede post-war occupied territories in negotiations with Russia. Those responsible in the West would have to draw borders beforehand, "and giving up Ukrainian territory shouldn't be one of the conditions that we can accept," Kissinger said, according to the translation on ZDF. Before negotiating, you have to be clear about what you are willing to negotiate and what you are not willing to reveal under any circumstances.
Also FDP open to direct tank deliveries to Ukraine
Because of the stagnation in arms deliveries via ring exchange, the FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is now also open to the direct delivery of German tanks to the Ukraine. The Chair of the Defense Committee of the Bundestag admits that the Eastern European allies have not been able to find replacements for their arms deliveries to Ukraine as quickly as expected. "If that is problematic for the partners, we should stop the ring exchange and deliver directly to Ukraine - possibly also the (main battle tank) Leopard 2. Time is short," said Strack-Zimmermann.
That will be important on Monday
You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.
